The Strategy of Divide and Rule

In 338 b c, rome defeated its greatest enemy at the time, the latin league. The romans faced a new problem: how to govern the region. If they crushed the league's members, they would leave a power vacuum. Instead, they created a system whereby some of its cities were incorporated into roman territory and their residence given full privileges as roman citizens. Others were deprived of most of their territory, but granted mere total independence. And others still were broken up and heavily colonized with rRoman citizens. No single city was left powerful enough to challenge Rome - which retained the central position.